Dr. Roya Jafari-Hassad was sentenced to seven years in prison on March 2, 2026, for illegally prescribing oxycodone and committing health care fraud. The sentencing took place at the federal court in Central Islip, where United States District Judge Gary R. Brown also imposed a $150,000 fine and ordered restitution of $152,765.
Jafari-Hassad was convicted in December 2024 on eight counts of prescribing oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose. She later pleaded guilty to health care fraud in April 2025. According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Jafari-Hassad operated out of offices in Great Neck, Forest Hills, Queens, and Manhattan from January 2019 through May 2022. She charged patients cash for monthly prescriptions of oxycodone without valid medical reasons and sometimes issued prescriptions without appointments after receiving payment information. She also submitted false claims to Medicare and private insurers for services not rendered.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Katherine Onyshko from the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division, with support from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Victim-Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., DEA Associate Chief of Operations Frank A. Tarentino III (Northeast Region), and HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz (New York Region) announced the sentence.
“Dr. Jafari-Hassad used her medical practice to deal drugs, a disgraceful betrayal of her doctor’s oath to do no harm,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence holds her accountable for capitalizing on her patients’ dangerous opioid addictions to enrich herself. A jail term and serious financial penalties should serve as a warning to other healthcare professionals, that when they unlawfully prioritize profit over patient well-being, they will be brought to justice.”
Nocella also thanked the Suffolk County Police Department for their assistance.
“Today’s sentencing is a significant step for the DEA and our law enforcement partners pursuit of those health care professionals who exacerbate the ongoing healthcare crisis by prescribing dangerous and addictive opioids just for profit” stated DEA Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Dr Jafari-Hassad knew the harmful effects opioids could have on her patients and yet she chose to jeopardize their health by turning her medical office into a modern-day pill mill.”
“The illegal prescribing practices for which this doctor was convicted and sentenced were especially egregious and contributed to fueling the opioid epidemic,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York oversees federal prosecutions within Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, and Suffolk County (official website). It operates offices in Brooklyn and Central Islip (official website) as part of its mandate as the designated federal prosecutor's office (official website). The office handles both criminal prosecutions such as this case as well as civil matters representation (official website), supports community outreach efforts (official website), and is currently led by United States Attorney Breon Peace (official website).
Jafari-Hassad is 59 years old and resides in Bayside, New York.
